Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center recognized as top project statewide

Essentia Health is proud to announce that the replacement St. Mary’s Medical Center has been recognized as 2023’s top project in Minnesota by Finance & Commerce, an independent newspaper dedicated to business reporting.

The new St. Mary’s opened last July after almost four years of construction. Among those who played such an integral role in making this transformative medical facility a reality were McGough Construction, our construction partner, and EwingCole, our architect. They partnered with numerous local contractors to build 942,000 square feet of new space. Foundational to that work was the contributions of thousands of skilled laborers from the building trades, who worked tirelessly to create a state-of-the-art hospital that advances health care for the patients Essentia is privileged to serve.

“St. Mary’s Medical Center in downtown Duluth included 3.2 million hours of union labor work,” said Jack Carlson, president of the Duluth Building and Construction Trades Council. “The men and women of the skilled construction trades are proud to have built this award-winning medical center that provides crucial care for our community.”

The recognition as Minnesota’s top construction project comes less than two weeks before the first anniversary of the new St. Mary’s opening its doors and ushering in a new age of health care in the region. The hospital has helped us redefine how we care for patients and families, ensuring access to innovative, expert health care that our patients expect from Essentia.

St. Mary’s was chosen as the top project from more than 100 across Minnesota that were evaluated by Finance & Commerce.

“Our patients were at the heart of every decision we made as the hospital was designed and constructed,” said Tamm Kritzer, senior vice president of hospital operations at St. Mary’s Medical Center. “We’re thankful to have earned this distinction and we’re grateful to accomplish it while working hand in hand with so many skilled men and women representing their unions in the process.” 

The new St. Mary’s, representing the largest private investment in Duluth’s history, features state-of-the-art technology and is patient-focused with 342 private patient rooms that include healing and calming views of Lake Superior.

The project has proven to be a catalyst for development and an economic driver in our community.

“The project is a testament to the achievements of the makers and builders of our region — 3.2 million work hours showcasing the incredible work of our union tradespeople,” said Rachel Johnson, president and CEO of the Area Partnership for Economic Expansion (APEX), which along with McGough nominated St. Mary’s for this award. “These partnerships and projects motivate us to continue to redevelop, reimagine and build Duluth and beyond.”

“Reimagining St. Mary’s Medical Center is much more than a building project. It’s about how Essentia cares for its patients and matching its facilities to how medicine is practiced now and in the future,” said Frank Frederickson, APEX board chair and vice president for customer experience and engineering services at Minnesota Power. “Health care has evolved rapidly since St. Mary’s Hospital was founded in 1888. Essentia’s historic $900 million reinvestment in its facilities demonstrates the company’s commitment to providing the highest quality care for our region.”